Water cooling device



March 19, 1935. A. F. EVERS, JR 1,994,698

WATER COOLING DEVICE Filed Aug. 24, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l MW yb" ATTORNEYS A. F. EVERS, JR

WATER COOLINGDEVICE Filed Aug. 24 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 190%{0/2 fix end? INVENTOR V/444W HZ).

ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 19, 1935 I 1,994,698

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WATER COOLING DEVICE Adolph F. Evers, .ln, Denton, Tex. Application August 24, 1931, Serial No. 559,093 4 Claims. (01. 62-141) My invention relates to improvements in waforms no part of my invention but is the structer cooling devices, and it consists in the comture in combination withwhich my invention is binations, constructions, and arrangements hereadapted for use. in described and claimed. In combination with the above structure I 5 An object of my invention is to provide a novel provide a tank or container 9 of the type shown in 5 water cooling device adapted for use in com- Figure 3 which is adapted for being disposed bination with an artificial refrigerating unit and within the cabinet 2 between the refrigerating a water supply conduit for providing fresh iceunit 3 and a wall 10 of the cabinet. The tank cold drinking water. 1 9 may, however, be positioned elsewhere in the 10 A further object is to provide a compact wacabinet thereby enabling a larger tank to be used 0 ter cooling device which may be positioned withif so desired for cooling a greater volume of wain the refrigerator and is easily accessible. ter. A sheet of heat insulating material 11 may be A further object is to provide a water 0001- positioned between the refrigerating unit 3 and ing device in which the heat leakage is negligible. the tank 9. The tank is provided with a tubular A further object is to provide a water cooling portion or' pocket member 12 extending there- 5 device which operates automatically. within and having its orifice in a wall of the A further object is to provide an efficient watank. The tank 9 may, of course, be made in ter cooling device which is simple in construcvarious sizes and shapes. tion and which may be cheaply manufactured A refrigerating coil of pipe 13 is disposed withand operated. a in the tank 9 and is provided with an inlet pipe 20 Other objects and advantages will appear in 14 and an outlet pipe 15. The inlet pipe 14 is in the following specification, and the novel feacommunication with a thermostatically contures of the invention will be particularly pointtrolled valve mechanism 16 which, in turn, is in ed out in the appended claims. communication with the inlet conduit 4 by means My invention is illustrated in the accompanyof a pipe 1''! and the outlet pipe 15 is in com- 25 ing drawings, forming part of this application, in munication with the outlet conduit 5. The inlet which pipe 17 is provided with a shut-off valve 1'7.

Figure l is a perspective view of a refrigerator A thermostatic bulb 18 is receivable in the in which my water cooling device has been inpocket member 12 and is adapted to be snugly stalled, fitted therein, see Figure 2. A tubular member '19 30 Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view of my water is connected with the thermostatic bulb 18 and cooling device in combination with a refrigeratthe thermostatic valve mechanism 16 for proing unit, a compressor, and a water supply conviding communication therebetween. duit, A water-containing pipe coil 20 is disposed Figure3 is a perspective view of my water within the tank 9 and is positioned in spaced- 35 cooling device and the refrigerating unit with apart relation with respect to the refrigerating which it is associated, a portion of my device coil 13. The pipe coil 20 is provided with an inbeing broken away for showing the interior therelet pipe 21 in communication with a water supply of, line and is provided with a shut-off valve 22. The

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of the pipe coil 20 is further provided with an outlet 40 thermostatically controlled valve mechanism pipe 23 which, in turn, is connected with a faucet comprising a part of my invention, 24. The faucet 24 is connected with the side 10 Figure 5 is a top plan view of the valve mechof the cabinet and is positioned on the exterior anism shown in Figure 4, and v thereof. A drain pan 25 is connected with the Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view showing anside 10 of the cabinet and is positioned beneath 45 other form of my device. the faucet 24. The drain pan 25 is provided In Carrying 11 my invention, 1 p v d a with a drain-pipe 26 which, in turn, may be confrigerator 1 comprising a cabinet 2 having a main nected with a lead-ofi drain, not shown. cooling chamber in which is disposed a refrigerat- The tank 9 is adapted for containing a liquid,

ing unit 3 (usually a coil) shown in Figure 3. The such as brine, and is provided with an inlet and 50 refrigerating unit 3 is in communication with a outlet opening in the top and bottom, respectiverefrigerant inlet conduit 4 and a refrigerant out- 1y, whereby the liquid may be placed within the let conduit 5 by means of pipes 6 and '7, respectank or withdrawn therefrom. The top and bottively. The conduits are in communication with tom openings are provided with plugs 2'7 and 28,

- a compressor 8. The structure set forth above respectively.

The structure of the thermostatic valve mechanism is old in the art, but for the purpose of clarifying the operation of my device, a cursory description of certain parts of the valve will be given. It will be understood, however, that any suitable type of thermostatic valve may be employed.

The valve mechanism 16 comprises a body portion 29 in which a push rod 30 is movably disposed. A cap or housing member 31 is adjustably connected with the body portion. A thermostatically actuated bellows 32 is disposed within the housing member 31 and is operatively associated with an end of the push rod 30 and the tubular member 19. The other end of the push rod 30 is operatively associated with a plate 32 which forms a part of a sealing bellows 33 mounted in the body portion 29. The body portion 29 is, provided with an inlet chamber 34 and an outlet chamber 35 therein which are separated by a partitioning wall 36 comprising a part of the body portion. The inlet chamber 34 is in communication with the pipe 17 and the outlet chamber 35 is in communication with the pipe 14. The partitioning wall has a passageway 37 therethrough for providing communication between the chambers. A spring-pressed needle valve 38 is adapted for sealing the passageway 37 and is operable by a lever arm 39 pivotally mounted in the housing 29 and in operative engagement with the plate 32.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. When the device is in operation, the valves 17 and 22 are opened forpermitting the refrigerant and the water to pass through their respective coils. When the compressor 8 is in operation, the refrigerant is pumped through the pipe 4 and the pipes 6 and 14 for cooling the refrigerating unit and the coil, respectively.

The temperature of the brine or liquid within the tank 9 is conveyed to the thermostatic valve through the medium of the thermostatic bulb 18 and the tubular member 19. If the temperature within the tank 9 is above that for which the thermostatic valve mechanism has been set, the rod 30 and the lever arm 39 will be actuated for moving the needle valve 38 out of the passageway 37, thereby providing communication between the chambers 34 and 35, whereby the refrigerant may flow through the coil 13 and return to the compressor. When the temperature within the tank is brought to the low temperature for which the thermostatic valve mechanism has been set, the needle valve will cut off communication between the chambers. It will be noted that even though the compressor is in operation for cooling the refrigerating unit, the refrigerant cannot be passed through the coils 13 for further cooling the interior of the tank 9 until the temperature within the tank is brought above that for which the thermostatic valve mechanism is set.

Thus it will be seen that the water within the coils 20 is cooled and kept cool and that when the faucet is opened for drawing the cold water, fresh water rushes into the coils 20 for being cooled. By having the faucet positioned on the exterior of the cabinet, as shown in Figure 1, the necessity of opening the cabinet door and thereby warming the interior of the cabinet, when it is desired to draw drinking water, is eliminated.

- It will be noted that the coils 13 and 20 are formed difierently in Figures 2 and 3. The forming of the coils is optional. It is believed, however, that by coiling the pipes as shown in Figure 2, a greater length of the water-containing pipe may be disposed within the tank 9.

The temperature within certain makes of refrigerators is regulated through a thermostatically controlled electric switch 40 shown in Figure 2 which, in turn, controls the operation of the compressor.

The switch 40 is in communication with a thermostatic bulb 41 disposed in juxtaposition to the cooling unit by means of a pipe 42.

The temperature within the tank '9 may also be regulated by a thermostatically controlled switch 43 included in the circuit. The tank 9 may be provided with a tubular pocket portion 12' for receiving a. thermostatic bulb 18 which is in communication with the thermostatic switch 43 by means of a tubular member 19' whereby the switch 43 may be actuated by a fluctuation of the temperature within the tank 9. The thermostatic switch 43 may be of any suitable type of which there are many and consequently a. detailed description of the switch is not believed necessary.

If so desired, the water coil 20 may be dispensed with, as shown in Figure 6, in which case the pipes 21 and 23 are in communication with the interior of the tank and the water passes through the tank and comes into direct contact with the cooling coils. In this construction the need forusing the brine is of course eliminated and the pocket within the tank.

It will be noted that by reason of the bulb 18 snugly fitting in the pocket 12' that the thermostatic device is always in live thermal contact with the brine or liquid in the tank 9. This arrangement enables the operation of the thermostatic valve mechanism to be actuated by the tank temperature rather than by the temperature of the air in the cabinet 2.

I claim:

1. A refrigerator cabinet having a main refrigerating coil, a brine tank inside of the cabinet, a. refrigerating coil in the tank to cool the brine, a water coil immersed in the brine, a source of refrigerant supply common to both coils, and a thermostatic control in live thermal contact with the brine comprising means for separately controlling the refrigerant flow to the brine tank refrigerating coil regardless of the cabinet temperature responsive to the main refrigerating coil.

2. A refrigerator cabinet and means therein to cool its interior, a drinking water coil in the cabinet, a coolable liquid container in the cabinet also containing the coil in immersion and isolating said coil from the rest of the cabinet interior, a refrigerant circulation system common to said means and tothe container, and a thermostatic control in live thermal contact with the coolable liquid for regulating said system as regards the container irrespective of the temperature of the cabinet interior.

3. A refrigerator cabinet and a main refrigerating coil for cooling'its interior, an auxiliary cooling apparatus within the cabinet for cooling water independently of the cooled interior or said main refrigerating coil, said apparatus comprising a water tank, an auxiliary refrigerating coil immersed in the water, and a thermostatic control in live contact with the water to regulate erating coil, :1 brine tank fitted between the coil and a wall of the cabinet, a refrigerating coil in the tank and immersed in the brine hence separate from the main coil, an insulating structure between the main coil and tank to. prevent loss of heat from the tank to the main coil, a drink-, ing water coil also in the'tank and immersed in the brine, and means to separately control the flow of a refrigerant through the refrigerating coils, thereby 'maintaining the brine at a tem-' perature pessibly different from that of the cabinet. r

ADOLPH F. EVERS, JR. 

